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T. K. NORTH.

SUBMARNE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.30, |917.

Patented Oat. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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T. K. NORTH.

suMAmNE MINE. APPLICATION FILED 0C'L30, 19|?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE col-UMBIA www" co.. WAIHIMNM. c.

` Patentd 0015.14-, 1919.

THOMAS KEPPEL NORTH, or WnsTMINsTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, AssIGNoR ToVYIOK'ERS LIMITED, OF'WESTMINSTER,ENGLAND., Y..

SUBHARINE MINE.l

Specicationof Letters Patent.'

Application filed October 30, 1917. Serial No. `l99,3 8'8.' Y

T 0 all 'LU/1,0m t may] Concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS KEPPEL NORTH, a subject of the IKing of GreatBritain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the countyof London, England, .have invented' certain new and useful Improvements'in' or Relating to Submarine Mines, of which the following isaspeciiication.

This invention relates to submarine mines of the kind comprising aiiotation chamber or mine proper and an anchor, sinker,"or the likeconnected together by a Vrope or cable and adapted to separate by thepaying out of the said rope or cable after vlaunching, the flotationchamber being provided with a number of Contact arms Vor members whichcontrol the tiring mechanism vand occupy a retracted position Within theflotation chamber until after-*the mine is launched, whereupon, by theaction of suitable de-r vices the Contact arms or members are caused toprotrude fromthe flotation chamber in o a position inv which they willliberate the firing mechanism contact with -a passing ship. e f

According to this invention the aforesaid contact arms or members arerendered operative by a pull exerted when the flotation chamberseparates from the anchor, sinker` or the like -whereupon thecontact-arms are caused to protrude from their retracted poSltion bymeans of springs normally restrained from acting by retaining devicesywhich hold the contact arms or rmembers in their retracted position andwhich are connectedt'o the anchor by means rof a cord, chain or thelike, so that on the flotation chamber separating from the anchor, thecord willbe placed under tension and will exert a pull on the retainingdevices, thereby 'releasing them and thus permitting the springs to movethe contact'arms or members into their protruded position for contactwith a passing ship. Safety devices may be provided for preventing theretaining devices from becoming unintentionally released, the saidsafety devices being withdrawn by hand i prior to the launching of themine. Instead of providingsprings for causing the Contact arms ormembers to be protruded from their retracted position, we may providelever or other appropriate mechanism er devises adapted t0 be. actuatedby thepull exerted on the aforesa1d cord, chain or the like when tllleflotation chamber separates from the anc or.- 1 Y In order that Athesaidinvention may be clearly understood andreadily carried into effect thesame will now be described more "f1-illy. with reference to theaccompanying drawing which shows the preferred embodiment of theinventionand in which -Figure'ly is a cross sectional view of theflotation chamber of` a mine constructed accoi-ding to the invention;

Fig.- 2 is a cross sectional viewon an en.-

larged scaleV of one vof the contaot'armsvor:

members in its extended'lposition.

Figs 3 and 4 Vare d1agrammati'c views showing successive positions takenup by the anchor and flotation chamber prior to and after the release ofthe contact arms.

` A is the flotation chamber, Bis the anchor, C is vthe mooringV cable,D, D are the contact arms which control the release of the firingmechanism, and f C7, are the retaining deliberate thecontact arms Ivices which act to RID-lanI in; 1 In the example shown-the upper portionPatented Oct. 14,1919.

sol

ofk the' flotation chamber is provided vwith four of the aforesaidcontact arms or members D D each of which comprises anl inner extensiblespring controlled part d telescopicallylocated within an outer fixedpart d',

ythe said inner part d up =to thetime of launching of the mine,beingheldin its Yretracted position within the outerltixed part df bythe said retaining devices. "These retaining devices comprise asplit pinc .which engages within-openings c2 in a flange@3 provided' on vacasing-F surrounding rvthe outerfixed part d in such a manner that thepin o extends across the face of the spring vcontrolled inner part d andretainsv it in its retracted position.V The hand safety devicesvcomprise a wedge-piece c4 which is disposed Within and transversely ofone end of the split, portion of the pin c', the said wedgepiece c4being adapted to be withdrawn from the s lit pin by'meansy of a cord c5,one end of w ich is attached to the said wedge-piece c4 and the otherend to a handle or hand grip c6.'- 'Thesplit pin c is connected to theanchor B by means of a connection cf, sa

that; on' the Sep'aiatiea ef the dotation cham:

ber from the lnehogr the split pi-i maticallyiivithdai the tension'exerted on the connection 07, the Wedge-piecec1 hav-v leased and movesforward under the-influj ence of its spring Z2 until it assumes itseig,y tended position, whereupon it is` lockedin. thatposition,by'meansof a spring/con? trolled pin (Z3 carried by-SJtheenter"partf'al'44 and engaging ina groove d4 in the inner part` (Zuntilit finally? snapsint a' locking- The firing control'mechanism whichit preferred to' femployf; may" ycionipriseycords or Wires .fGrj 'G2Wh-'ichfare lsubjectedStorthefinf luence foffa'ispingf Gr Avwhichmaintaiins' this"V same I under;I tension 'throug1i"" the! inter-merdiary I ofy bifurcated or Stirrup-'s-liaped levers g each l of which.is` pivotailyr"mounted onI the casing vld" vsurrounding1v each-'ofdierontact arms or 'in-embers Eachfle'verimovement; by 'beafring'-against a kisheaiablemenib erf or" pirng24 on: the inner 'endofueacli''of theffsaid 'telescopio-s Contact armseffor:inemberstl); oneof' the said restrained from cords G2," which" may be"ter`1ned' thetension cord, also zpass'ing-:larbund orbeing attachedto ahorizontally-2disposedlrotary memberior pulley g3, which" norn'iallyc'onnect's'" 'the l striker actuating Tmec'han"ism*to"'tlieflotationchambergby means of afjintgofithefbayonet typeA andradiallydisplaceable'detents Whic'h latter have? chanii'fered"i edges and engagea beveledl circumferential recess formed in -fthe' striker connectingrod. The arrangement isf such lthat thefordsG, G2 are' normally'ina'intained inastat'e of tensionandthe'said ro" tary memberr or pulleyg3 is prevented.' from beingfy actuated?untilone/ or vother ofi the Ycontact arms orv members v iDstrikes a' I pas'singl ship whereuponthef'E shearablff'pi'n'- g2" appertaining? totth-at contact ar1n'"or'mem! ber isI broken andflibratesfoneof"the'bifur# l cated levers gf,thus releasing -the?'tension on the tension'cordGzfandfenablingjthelatter to turn-the `rotary vmember V'or pulley" g3;

The :striker: Whichr'isf-'ofI the' type cocked andA` fired by= buoyancyis then 1 released andl is. auto@ claimand desire to'secure byLettersPatent ofi theI United? States? is l. A. submarine mine comprising aota- Ation chamber, anchoring means connected to .Said flotationchamber' by' amooring cable,

said contact means normally occupying a retracted or 'inoperativeposition, and means controlled' by;Y the:- separation of the flota-tionchamber and the anchoring means after the launching of thef-mine-Which-'means' acts to liberate? said' Contact 'means so `tliat"-tliesaine assume an extended Lor operativey position:

2'.' "A yisubiiia'rinef mine comprising a flota tion chamber,anchoringflnieansfconnected'to 70 said` flotation fchainber by 'an'iooring cable, oon'tactfmeanson the' flotation 'chamber which, Whenstruck hy a "passinig' ship, rbring l'about the actuation of the firingmechanism said contact means normallyoccupying a retracted 7 5o'rinoperative position, retaining :mean's'for said Contact"y means fand connecting means from said retainingmeansAVV to Afthe 'anchoring'means', said retaining means being renio'ved by th' "Pull which isexerted on the connect;-l 80 iiiglmeans when' the' notationehamberfseparates "fro-n1* the anchor after" the launching. ofthe'infine'.`-v f f f 3.r A submarine 'minecomprising ailo'tal tionchamber, anchoring means connected te said"otationrchamber by 'anieorin'gcable; Contact means-on the flotation" chamber-,2 which;ivlieii'struckbyy 'arl passing ship, bring'- about" the actu-ation l'ofthefiring mechanism said Contactf'ineai'is :normallyloccupyingf :a: 90retracted or inoperative position, retainingl means"v for said@y'c'oi'itact' means, connecting means from isaid retainingmeansv to tthevan'- ch'oring means, said retaining means'y being removed 'by the pullivhiichisf'exertedonthe 95 connecting 'means whenl the flotation cham;Iber'fseparttes tfrom the anchoring means 'after the; Vlai'inohing 'ofthemine', and safety means THOMAS EEP-PEL NGRTH';

vlive fcerts eac'hyby addressiiig'vthe=FCommissioner of PtentsfWashingtonfne." f 1

